6 
This article explores posthumanism as a philosophy that emphasizes human relationships with the natural world by examining representations of animality, both in children’s literature (e.g. titles such as Where the Wild Things Are, Wild, Virginia Wolf, and No Fits, Nilson!) and in children’s play in order to better understand the significance of philosophy in children’s […]
6 
Teachers face a growing call for implementing inquiry-based teaching and learning in a current pedagogical environment that contradicts this through educational practices that silo content, disseminate knowledge, and produce classrooms of passive learners. We address a hot topic in the United States on how a push for more “academics ” is changing the landscape of […]
8 
This study examined the connection between young children’s social play, creativity, storytelling, and language abilities. Participants were 56 primarily European American preschool children. First, to assess creativity we asked children to draw several pictures. Children created stories about their pictures during the creative process. Second, children created an original story with access to multiple ethnic […]
1 
Kate McLoughlin’s recent JML article, “The Modernist Party as Pedagogy, ” introduces a role-playing model, a simulated modernist party, to teach modernist literature. We respond to McLoughlin’s modernist party by evaluating our experience of teaching a variation of it, considering the broader value of role-play for modernist pedagogy. Role-play requires performance and risk-Taking, acts that […]
1 
Baroody, Lai & Mix [2006. The development of young childrens number and operation sense and its implications for early childhood education. In B. Spodek, & O. N. Saracho (Eds.), Handbook of research on the education of young children (2nd Ed., pp. 187-221). NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.] differentiate between four different learning approaches: direct instruction, guided adult-initiated […]
6 
This study tested whether and how methods called ‘Play Time/Social Time’ and ‘I Can Problem Solve’ contribute to the improvement of social skills and the development of theory of mind (ToM) in children. The participants in the experiment were nearly 200 (N=196) preschool children with low social functioning, with and without disabilities. The study showed […]
4 
Background: The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of interactive technology in the form of mathematical applications (apps) delivered using iPads on kindergarten children’s learning of number sense in a play-based learning environment. Secondly, factors influencing the use of interactive technology in a play-based environment were examined. This technology was introduced to […]
7 
This study examined the relationship between four common types of language play and their correlations with the verbal and social abilities of 3- to 5-year-old children. While observation has shown that children this age produce a range of play, research has not yet examined whether play is a measurable skill connected to preschoolers’ language development. […]
5 
This article focused on the pedagogy that enhances peer interaction in integrated special groups. In Finland, most children identified as having special educational needs (SEN) attend day-care in mainstream kindergarten groups; the rest are in integrated or segregated early childhood special education (ECSE) groups in public day-care centres [National Institute of Health and Welfare. 2013. […]
This article examines the image of the child and play in the Mengxue bao (The Children’s Educator, 1897-1902), an important but largely neglected children’s periodical established by Chinese reformers in the late-nineteenth century, a time when intellectuals who were concerned about China’s future began to question dominant educational practices. It focuses on articles that were […]
0 
Background: This study aimed to examine whether verbal responsiveness in special education teachers varied among subgroups of children with autism spectrum disorder (n=112) who differed in cognitive and language abilities. Methods: Participants were divided into clusters using cluster analysis based on standardised cognitive and language tests using k-mean clustering. For each child, a 15-min video […]
7 
Competing trends in early childhood education emphasize the need for strong curricular approaches and for unfettered exploration. We propose an approach to early learning that avoids this false dichotomy: guided play. Guided play takes advantage of children’s natural abilities to learn through play by allowing them to express their autonomy within a prepared environment and […]
5 
Introduction: Daily physical activity (PA) participation is crucial to the health and well-being of young children. Along with total physical activity (TPA; all-intensity), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), or energetic play, is associated with greater health benefits, particularly for preschoolers (3–4 years), including but not limited to improved bone and skeletal properties and cognitive and psychosocial […]
0 
Active and interactive learning are considered harbingers to life-long learning and many have recommended appropriate integration of technology and teaching methodologies to impart authentic learning. It is of utmost importance that classroom teaching be relevant and should involve potential real-life ethical situations that the students may face in the workplace. We thus need to ensure […]
7 
One of Lev Vygotsky’s most widely known concepts in educational psychology is the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which he began to articulate in the last 2 years of his life and work (1933-1934). This article explores an earlier period in Vygotsky’s career-well before he developed the concept of the ZPD-when he was actively involved […]
8 
Cal Izard has provided psychology a robust vision of human emotional feelings. He has addressed the full spectrum of emotional-developmental-cognitive complexities entailed in clarifying seemingly impenetrable mysteries: How do we experience emotions and how do they guide cognitive development? Izard’s developmental studies of infant minds integrate the primal evolutionary affective foundations of our nature with […]
5 Caroline Pratt, the founder of the City and Country School, is one of the few educators who tried to work out a program that would engage and develop students’ imaginations. Along with other progressive educators, however, she has been criticized for her child-centeredness, that is, valuing children’s spontaneity at the expense of planning and structure. […]
7 
Over the past decade, there has been an increased use of playful approaches to teaching and learning in higher education. Proponents argue that creating ‘safe’ playful spaces supports learning from failure, management of risk-taking, creativity and innovation, as well as increasing the enjoyment of learning for many students. However, the emergent field of playful learning […]
6 
In this paper, the intersections of play and learning across the concrete and digital domains in early childhood settings are explored and illustrated. Play is an important component in the early years, expanding children’s opportunities for social interaction and engagement, essential constructs for overall development. The traditional setting for children’s play and learning has undergone […]
Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest in play.
NIFPlay and Dr. Stuart Brown have been featured in these media outlets (and more!).
The Institute wants the world to know:
A) Playing, being playful, is the healthiest way to spend your time (after feeding and housing yourself).
B) The activities that evoke playful feelings are unique to each of us.
© Copyright 2007-2024. All Rights Reserved. National Institute for Play is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, public benefit corporation. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy.
Play as Preparation for Learning and Life
Peter Gray, research professor at Boston College and past chair of its Psychology Department, originally trained in neurobiology at Columbia and Rockefeller University; but he now publishes in the fields of comparative, evolutionary, developmental, and educational psychology. In the academy, Gray is known best for his widely assigned university-level textbook Psychology, now in its sixth […]